Job Summary

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks a qualified candidate to serve as a Research Analyst I in its Development Strategies and Governance Unit. This position is a one-year, renewable appointment, based at IFPRI’s office in Khartoum, Sudan. The successful candidate will be contracted through IFPRI’s host institution in Sudan, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), and will follow AOAD’s employment policies, benefits, and compensation structure. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated early-career researcher to work with leading international scholars on policy-relevant research in agriculture, food systems, resilience, urban and rural livelihoods, humanitarian response, and economic recovery. The Research Analyst will work closely with senior researchers and global teams to support: Large-scale data collection and field research, Advanced data analysis (micro, spatial, and economywide), Impact evaluations, including RCTs, Policy-oriented research and communication, Coordination with Sudanese and international partners. The role requires strong analytical skills, initiative, and the ability to work in a dynamic research and policy environment. Interested applicants must have work authorization to work in Sudan.

Essential Duties:

Specific tasks include, but are not limited to:

Empirical Research and Data Work

• Designing and implementing farmers, household, enterprise, and market surveys

• Supporting field supervision, enumerator training, and data quality protocols

• Assist with cleaning complex datasets from multiple sources

• Conducting quantitative, qualitative, spatial, and satellite-based analyses

Impact Evaluation and Modeling

• Supporting impact evaluations and Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)

• Contributing to economywide modeling and policy simulations

• Undertaking political economy and market systems analysis

Social Protection and Resilience

• Mapping and analyzing Sudan’s social protection systems

• Supporting research on livelihood resilience, displacement, and conflict

  Knowledge Products and Outreach

• Assist in drafting reports, policy briefs, research papers, and presentations

• Supporting capacity-building activities and partner engagement

• Assisting in organizing IFPRI events (seminars, workshops, launches)

• Contributing to IFPRI Sudan’s visibility, including web content and media engagement

Coordination and Administrative Support

• Coordinating with IFPRI colleagues, donors, and implementing partners

• Supporting project administration, logistics, and communication

• Representing IFPRI Sudan in meetings and stakeholder engagements

Required Qualifications:

• Research Analyst I: Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Agricultural Economics, Development Studies/Economics, Econometrics, Statistics or a closely related field plus two years of professional experience or Master’s degree.

• Strong understanding of Sudan’s socio-economic and agricultural context, including conflict and displacement dynamics

• Excellent knowledge of micro/macro-economics and quantitative research methods

• Strong skills in STATA (required); experience with GAMS, R, or Python is an advantage

• Proven analytical and writing skills

• Fluency in English and Arabic (written and spoken)

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multicultural, team-oriented environment

• Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and maintain high accuracy

• Ability to work independently and proactively

• Willingness and ability to travel within Sudan

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with research on agriculture, food systems, poverty reduction, nutrition, or economic development

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in research, academia, development, data analysis, or impact evaluation

• Experience with impact evaluations, social protection research, or humanitarian programs

• Experience with GIS/ARC-GIS, spatial analysis, remote sensing, or satellite imagery

• Experience in policy communication, outreach, or managing web content

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Employee will sit in an upright position for a long period of time.

• Employee will lift between 0-10 pounds.

• Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing computer terminal; extensive reading.